NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ION Television delivered its best season ever, growing faster
year-over-year than any other broadcast or cable network, according to
Nielsen Media Research. Propelled by the off-network series “Criminal
Minds” and the newly acquired series “Without a Trace,” ION posted
growth across all key demos, including A25-54, W25-54, A18-49 and
W18-49. The ratings milestone sets the stage for ION’s latest brand
update when it launches its new multiplatform look today, October 4th.

ION’s ratings success, from October 2009 through September 2010,
registered record triple and double-digit growth in sales prime, with a
+72% increase in total viewers (1,011,000 v. 588,000). As well, ION
advanced +76% among A25-54 (450,000 v. 259,000), and +110% on W25-54
(276,000 v. 135,000). ION also notched substantial gains among the
valuable W18-49 demo (252,000 v. 108,000) as well, up 133%, while A18-49
registered a +95% improvement (392,000 v. 204,000).

“Without a Trace” joined ION Television in July 2010 and quickly
became a favorite of network viewers. The show posted
year-over-year growth of +64% among A25-54 (373,000 v. 227,000),
and +61% with A18-49 (319,000 v. 198,000). “Without a Trace” more
than doubled year-ago audience levels among W25-54 (261,000 v.
132,000, +98%) and W18-49 (228,000 v. 119,000, +92%).

“Ghost Whisperer”

The addition of “Ghost Whisperer” to ION’s daytime lineup in
August, coupled with popular weekend movies (“Back to the Future,”
“Daredevil,” “The Fifth Element”), boosted the 3Q10
non-prime daypart performance by +18% among A25-54 compared to the
daypart’s pre-Ghost Whisperer average (202,000 vs. 186,000)
and by +39% on W18-49 (133,000 vs. 96,000).

“We have been fortunate with our content choices and partners during the
first phase of our network launch, with a ratings growth that has put us
in the top 15 U.S. entertainment television networks in only 18 months,”
says Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks. “That said, we see more
content and ratings expansion potential ahead. The theme of our new
on-air graphics reflects the multidimensional television entertainment
content we see unfolding on the network in coming years.”

While ION Television’s logo and “Positively Entertaining” tagline remain
the same, the new graphics package, developed for ION by Greenwich,
CT-based The Brand Gallery, launches on-air and online on the new www.iontelevision.com.
Throughout October, the network will ramp up its presence in the
marketplace, communicating its latest look, with initiatives including a
business to business advertising buy and a guerilla marketing stunt in
New York City.

Additionally, on the consumer marketing outreach, ION Television also
launches its multiplatform “Positively Entertaining” Facebook contest
today, searching for viewers with a flare for all things entertaining.
Driven by its popular tagline “Positively Entertaining,” the network is
recruiting fans to share entertaining photos and videos of themselves
via Facebook, while for the first time generating user online and on-air
content for the network. For five weeks, friends of ION’s Facebook fan
page (www.facebook.com/iontelevision)
are encouraged to submit their content on the social networking site in
the categories: kids, musicians, pets, Halloween costumes and wipeouts.
Three weekly winners will win a $100 gift card and be featured on ION
Television. At the contest conclusion, all 15 weekly winners will be
showcased on ION’s Facebook page for fans to vote on their favorite,
ultimately awarding a grand prize of $3,000 to the fan who exhibits the
best “Positively Entertaining” content. ION is supporting the contest
with an advertising campaign on Facebook in an effort to engage both
current ION Television fans as well as new users.

ION Television (www.iontelevision.com)
is a general entertainment network which reaches over 98 million U.S.
television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and
satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television
features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries
of CBS Television, NBC Universal, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros.
Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's
largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital
multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV
brands Qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and
ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It
also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business
unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and
out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital
television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.